Spatial Variability of Soil Carbon Stocks in a Subtropical Mangrove in Hong Kong

Abstract:

“Blue carbon”, a term used for carbon (C) sequestered in vegetated coastal wetlands, has received increasing attention recently as a potential option for mitigating future climate change. While coastal mangrove is considered as one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems of the world, there is a need to better characterize and compare the magnitude of carbon storage among mangroves in different geographical regions. In this study, we quantified the spatial variability of soil carbon stocks in a subtropical mangrove wetland in Hong Kong, and examined the effects of land cover change on soil carbon storage. Bare mudflats contained significantly lower amount of carbon than mangroves in the top 1 m soils (94.7 vs. 130.7-163.8 Mg C ha^-1), indicating the importance of vegetation in enhancing C sequestration. Moreover, we observed higher soil C storage in sites dominated by Avicennia marina than those dominated by Kandelia obovata. Conversion of natural mangroves into freshwater marshes and brackish ponds with shallow islands significantly reduced the amount of C stored in the top 30 cm soils by 24-58%, when compared to sites dominated by mangrove trees. Our findings suggest that consideration should be given to plant species and land cover type in determining the overall magnitude of carbon stocks in subtropical mangrove soils.